Apparatus for the treatment of ores.



No. 69H78.

Patented Apr. 8, |902.

E. L. SHARPNECK. APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT 0F DRES.

(Application led Apr. 25, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

ma ohms PETERS no.. vuoanmm. wAsmNnfo. n. a

No. 69u78.

Patented Apr. s, |902., E. L. sHAnPNecK. APPARATUS FOR THE 'TREATMENT 0FDRES.

(Application lled Apr. 25, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

STATES X rra APPARATUS FOR THE A'rnr OFFICE.

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

T REATNI ENT OF ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,178, dated April 8,1902. Application filed April 25, 1901. Serial No. 57,445. (No model.)

To all when@ it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIEL L.v SHARPNEGK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for the Treatment ofOres, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improved apparatus for use in carrying on theleaching process of extracting the values from ores, and more es-`pecially for use in the treatment of ores containing carbonate or oxidof copper.

My object is to provide apparatus of improved construction for hasteningthe leaching and filtering operations and rendering the practice morethorough and economical.

In the drawings, Figure lis a diagrammatic view of apparatus with myimprovements applied; Fig. 2, a vertical section of a leachingtank, andFig. 3 a similar view of a iilteringtank, both employed in carrying onthe leaching and filtering of the ore; Fig. 4, an enlarged and brokensection of a jet-pump; Fig. 5, a transverse section of aprecipitatingtank, the section being taken on line 5 in Fig. 6 and Fig.G, a broken longitudinal section taken on line 6 in Fig. 5.

A is a leaching-tank; B, a filtering-tank; C, a precipitating-tank; D, astorage-tank, and E a sump or settling tank.

On the tank A is a pair of standards a ct, provided at their tops withpulleys or sheaves h. The leaching-tank is formed, preferably, as shownin Fig. 2, with a hopper-shaped false bottom c and a cover orcross-pieced, presenting a central vertical guide-opening d@ F is a jet-pump havinga chamber e. Extending into the side of the chamber is a nozzle f,terminating at the center of the chamber and upturned to discharge in adirection longitudinal of the chamber. Connecting with the pipe ornozzle f is a rubber hose f', extending from a steam-supply pipe f2,provided with a valve f3. Extending downward from the lower end of thechamber e is a short pipe g. A pipe h extends upward from the chamber eand is provided at its upper end with a valve h'. Communicating with thepipe 71. below the valve h is a branch pipe h2, provided with a valveh3. Extending downward from the valve h3 parallel with the pipe 7L is apipe h4, terminating in a plane preferably just below that of the jet-pump F. Extending from the top of the pipe h is a hose-pipe i, whichterminates over and empties into the iiltering-tank B, and extendingover the pulleys b are cords 7c, carrying counterweights 7a. Thecounterweights counterbalance the j et-pump and parts carried thereby,whereby they may be raised and lowered with relation to the tank A andremain in adjusted position. The hose v1 above the tank B is held inadjusted position by suspending means Z, and above the tankA it issuspended by a cord m, passing over a pulley m' and carrying acounterweight m2.

The filtering-tank B is formed, preferably, as illustrated in Fig. 3,with the flat bottom n and false hopper-shaped bottom n', provided withnumerous perforations Between the bottoms n fn. is a chamber n3. At

`the center of the bottoms 'n n is an outletopening n4, leading to atrough ns and closed by a plug 0r6. Extending from the chamber n3 of thevat B is a pipe p, having a valve p and communicating with ahose-section p2, extending at its end downward to empty into one endportion of the precipitating-tank C.

The tank C is divided by partitions q into compartments q' q2 Q3, eachpartition being provided at the center of its upper edge with anoverflow (14. This precipitating-tank is of a novel constructiomformingthe subject-matter of a concurrent application filed by me the 25th dayof April, 1901, Serial No; 57,446. It will suffice tosay in the presentconnection that it is formed with longitudinally-extending shoulders rfr and longitudinally-extending shoulders r' r' at a higher level thanthe shoulders r. On one of the shoulders r at one side of the tank C isa conductor r'od or plate s, communicating with the negative pole of anelectric generator G, and on vone ot' the shoulders r, preferably at theopposite side of the tank, is a conductor rod or plate s', communicatingwith the positive pole of the electric generator G. Extending across thetank and resting upon the shoulders r are transverse rods t, which inthis way rest at one end upon the conductor s', and between the saidrods t are rods t', resting at opposite ends on the shoulders fr,whereby they rest at one end in contact with the electric conductor.sheets t3 form the cathodes.

s. Suspended from each of the rods is a sheetlead apron or plate, theplates extending at their lower ends nearly to the bottom of the tank.The sheets t2 form the anodes and the There are an equal number ofanodes and cathodes in each of the compartments ofthe vat,and suspendedaround the cathodes in the manner shown are bags t4, of porous cloth,forming pockets. At the end of the tank C is an overflow-trough g5,emptying into the sump-tank E. Extending from the vlower side of thetank O to the tank E is a valved pipe Q6, which may connect with each ofthe compartments 'q' q2 g3. A pipe H extends from near the bottom andcenter of the sump-tank upward to empty into the tank D, as shown.Interposed in the pipe H is a jet-pump H', constructed like Ithe jetpumpF and communicating with a steamsupply pipe H2, provided with a valveH3. Extending from the bottom of the storagetank D is a pipe I, havingan interposed valve I' and terminating over the leaching-tank A.

The operation is as follows in the treatment of ore containing oxid orcarbonate of copper: After being pulverized to about forty'or ifty meshthe ore is fed into the leaching-tank A, sucient water being added tomake the mixture flow easily. Enough of a suitable acid is then pouredinto the mixture for carrying out the leaching process. It may be statedthat in the use of the acid I prefer to employ I provide one and a halftimes as much acid in pounds as there are pounds of copper in the massof ore to be treated. Previous to starting the jet-pump F the valve h'is closed and the valve his opened. The pump is then raised until thelower end of the pipe g is at the top of the tank A, and the valve f3 isthen opened to admit steam. The steam passes from the nozzle f upwardthrough the pipe h, thence through the pipe h2 and valve h3, anddownward through the pipe h4. After the jet-pump is started it isgradually lowered until it reaches the position shown, which causes thelower end of the pipe g to reach nearly to the bottom of the tank. Theoperation of the jet-pump causes the mixture in the tank A to be raisedby the suction action elfected by the jet of steam and discharged againdownward through the pipe h4. Thus a constant rapid circulation is keptup to agitate the liquid contents of .the leaching-tank,

v andthe contact of the mixture with steam causes it to be raisedgradually to a high temy perature. This heating of the mixture rendersthe action of the acid very rapid, so that in a comparatively short timeall or very nearly all of the copper will go into solution. l

yIn practice with apparatus constructed as described I cause thejet-pump 4to operate until the mixture is raised to a temperature ofabout 200o Fahrenheit, which takes on the average about twenty minutes,by which time all, or at least ninety per cent., of the kcopper willhave gone into solution. When this operation is completed as described,the valve f3 is shut olf, the jet-pump raised, and the solution allowedto settle a few minutes. a very short time the pulp will settle to thebottom of the tank, causing the copper solution to remain on the top.The valve h3 is then closed and the valves h/ f3 opened to cause thesteam to discharge from the jetpump through the pipe t. The pump is thengradually lowered to thus raise and transfer the copper solution fromthe tank A through the pipe or hose t' to the filtering-tank B. Whennearly all the solution has beenl thus transferred from the pulp, thepump is stopped. The valve p is left open, whereby the solution as fastas it is iltered and enters the chamber n3 will pass downward to thepreci pitating-tank C. The construction of the tank O with itscompartments g q2 Q3 causes the solution to flow downward as it entersfrom the pipe or hose p2 and gradually lill the first compartment, thenoverflow through the recess q4 into the second compartment. In thesecond and third compartments I prefer to provide baffles Q7, whichdirect the current as it enters through the overflow Q4 downward, sothat it will all rise in close proximity to the cathodes t3.. Inpractice I prefer to so regulate the voltage and amperage of the currentthat in the electrolytic action metallic copper as fast as itaccumulates upon the cathodal plates will drop 0R into the pocketsformed by the bags t4. In the precipitatingtank all or all but acomparatively small percentage of the copper carried in solution will beextracted therefrom, and very little else but diluted acid will flowthrough the over- How-trough g5 into the sump-tank E. When all of thischarge of the leaching-tank that has been pumped from the pulp thereinhas passed into the precipitating-tank, what remains in the saidprecipitating-tank may be drawn off into the sump-tank` through thevalved pipe Q6. Nearly all of this solution thus drawn oi will have beenfreed of the copper. As the acid flows into the sumptank E it iswithdrawn by means of the jetjump I-I and deposited in the storage-tankD to be used over again. After the solution has been drawn off andfiltered and the copper contained therein has been precipitated asdescribed water in sufficient quantity may be poured into theleaching-tank A and the jet-pump started again to form anew solution.All of this solution, with the pulp, may then be drawn off b v means ofthe jet-pump to the iltering-tankB oranother similar tank and filteredand washed by the addition of more water at the filtering-tank until thepulp or tailings contain no more copper to be saved. The second solutionmay be passed through the same or another precipitating-tank C, andinstead of being drained off into the storagetank D it may be caused toflow into a separate storage-tank, to be used in the place of clearwater in rst diluting the next charge of ore in the leaching-tank. Itwill be understood that the acid is used over and over again ICO IIO

and its strength increased from time to time as required. Of course asmany leaching, iiltering,precipitating, sump, and storage tanks may beemployed as desired for mills of different capacities, and it isdesirable to provide more storage than leaching or iiltering tanks, sothat the weakened acid solutions need not be mixed with the strongerbefore entering tanks in which the ores are treated.

It will be understood that the apparatus forming the subject of mypresent invention is not necessarily limited to use in the treatment ofcopper ores, because it may be employed with equal advantage in thetreatment of gold and silver bearing ores in the practice of the cyauidor any other leaching process.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. As a means for facilitating the dissolving of the values in ores, thecombination of a leaching-tank,a conduit leading from and dischargingdirectly into the tank, and means in the conduit connected withaheating-medium supply for agitating, circulating and heating the liquidcontents of the tank.

2. As a means for facilitating the dissolving of the values in ores, thecombination of a leachingtank,a conduit leading from and discharginginto the tank, and a jet-nozzle connected with a steam-supply anddischarging directly into the conduit whereby the liquid contents of thetank is agitated, circulated and heated.

3. The combination with a leaching-tank of an agitating device for theliquid contents thereof comprising a conduit leading from and returningto the tank, a jet-pump interposed in said conduit for circulating saidliquid contents through it and means for raising and lowering thejet-pump and conduit with relation to the said leaching-tank.

4. The combination with a leaching-tank and a filtering-tank of a valvedconduit extending between said tanks, a Valved branch pipe extendingfrom said conduit below the valve therein back to the leaching-tank andaj et-pump interposed in said conduit between the said leaching-tank andbranch pipe,where by the liquid contents of the leaching-tank may becirculated through said conduit and branch pipe or transferred throughsaid conduit to the said filtering-tank, substantially as described.

ELIEL L. SHARPNECK. In presence of- D. W. LEE, ALBERT D. BACCI.

